Doctrine Undergirds Preservation
In my 20 years as pastor of Berean, I have always heavily emphasized the doctrine of the church. I have convictions which I believe are biblically based and essential to the general welfare and survivability of these blessed bodies of Christ that are known as local churches. While correct ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) is critical to the proper functioning of the church, there is also need for churches to be faithful to all the doctrines taught in God’s word.
The preservation of the church is majorly dependent on consistent teaching of all biblical doctrines and the proper interpretation of them. I not only emphasize ecclesiology but hopefully I am faithful to a well-rounded doctrinal ministry. We want to focus on everything the Bible teaches from cover to cover. Unfortunately, doctrine has fallen out of favor. Fewer and fewer preachers neither understand nor teach the doctrines of the faith which leaves the people in ignorance of scripture. Instead, preachers have become life coaches focusing on self-improvement. Most often, they do not look to the Bible for their source material but rely on the philosophies of secular reasoning.
An example is the power of positive thinking and the plentiful books on self-encouragement and self-esteem. The best-selling Christian books focus on these themes while never approaching biblical understanding of the underlying condition that causes lack of confidence. Neither do they emphasize the proper solution which is Christ living in us by faith. We must have Christ to kill the root which is the depravity of our hearts. While self-esteem preachers claim that you are smart and good and have within you the power to be everything you want to be, the Bible and Jesus Christ categorically deny this. Fundamentally, we are unworthy sinners and can do nothing to help ourselves unless God should speak to our hearts through His word. This message does not travel well in the glitz, glamour, and giddiness of the well-coifed smiling charlatans.
These preachers abandoned the word which is the only hope for true positivity. If we learn our condition through the truth of the word, we cannot find anything to be positive about until the same word reaches and changes the heart. Anything else is a meaningless placebo which we think helps but lets the disease run rampantly unchecked until it destroys the unsuspecting soul.
The scriptures continually encourage us to pay attention to doctrine. Paul told Titus to hold on to the truth so that he could instruct others in sound doctrine. Titus labored on the island of Crete whose population was characterized by their own philosophers as persistent liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. I suspect before Titus this is as close as they ever got to the truth. Titus needed a good foundation in strong doctrine to refute opposition to the gospel. These types are usually easily identified because they have crazy unorthodox teachings, and their lifestyles obviously betrays them…or it would seem. Joseph Smith gained quite a following despite this, did he not?
The most dangerous to the church are preachers who twist orthodox doctrines to make their interpretations appear sound and reasonable. I have often referred to the havoc wreaked upon Baptist churches during the Second Great Awakening by Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell. These men were the seeds of the Churches of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, and the Christian Church. While orthodox on the mode of baptism, their doctrine of baptismal regeneration and claims to have restored the New Testament church along with it, resonated with many Baptist congregations and split them. As Paul said in Acts 20, some would arise and infiltrate the church, drawing away disciples after them.
This is a clear and present danger for churches that abandon the teaching of sound doctrine. Doctrine preserves the church which is the pillar and ground of the truth. When the church is lost, truth has no one to uphold it and teach it to others. The church soon dies like the human body that is never nourished but feeds on poison.
The Berean Baptist Church will continue to teach sound doctrine systematically to keep our feet firmly planted. We will not be tossed by every wind of false doctrine. Stay with us as we pursue every truth the scriptures teach.
Pastor V. Mark Smith